Review: What is the Baloise Session?
Musical diversity
Since 2013, Baloise has been the title sponsor of the Baloise Session – the annual music festival in Basel during which both international stars and national newcomers perform in an intimate club table atmosphere on ten different evenings.
The Baloise Session concerts cover a wide range of music styles, from pop, blues, jazz, rock and techno to African nights. The most unique factor of all is the setting: while international stars are used to performing in front of a crowd of a several thousand (and more) spectators and having teddy bears thrown onto the stage, here they are invited to appear in an intimate atmosphere with tables, candles and wine glasses instead. “The artists enjoy being close to the audience, as the music experience is much more intense,” says Marc Hallauer, Head of Sponsoring & Events.
Not being able to perform is really hard for many artists. We were delighted with the hugely positive response from artists towards this type of appearance.
Marc Hallauer, Head of Sponsoring & Events
Relocating to the virtual domain: the Baloise Session@home
Concerts via live stream
In spring 2020, the Baloise Session launched its first live stream concert via Facebook together with Baloise. This new format was devised in response to the restrictions imposed on all event organisers as a result of COVID-19 measures, and a concert has been held every month in this special atmosphere ever since. The musicians reach over 300,000 fans with their concerts, both live and via replay (based on the number of visits per concert).
From 77 Bombay Street to Noah Veraguth
“Not being able to perform is really hard for many artists. We were delighted with the hugely positive response from artists towards this type of appearance,” says Marc Hallauer, Head of Sponsoring & Events. “The digital format of the performance is a challenge, however. You don’t get any feedback, no round of applause – but: it’s a reality we have to deal with. The possibility of performing at all is gratefully taken up, with specials being rehearsed and new backdrops created, whether in a musician’s holiday apartment, on the terrace of a luxury hotel, or in an artist’s favourite restaurant. The artists themselves had plenty of ideas of their own for creating an environment in which they felt well represented.”
What's next?
Baloise Session@home has attracted considerable attention in the music industry, having become established as a format that the music scene can continue to expand on as an alternative in the future. “A transformation is taking place. Music is being consumed in a different way. We’re currently considering how the existing programme can be further developed, or how the digital concert format might continue,” says Marc Hallauer.
How do insurance and music fit together?
Baloise takes its social responsibility as a company seriously, and supports institutions that form a fixed part of public life. “Music is something that brings people together. Music transports us to different worlds, makes us dream, inspires us – and we also want to integrate this aspect in our customer relationships. The insurance business is about people. We want to bring emotion to such relationships through music,” emphasises Marc Hallauer. Not only the Baloise Session, but also our other commitments under the umbrella concept of Baloise goes Music are the driving forces behind this ambition.